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Anna poured herself a large cup of wine and emptied half of it. She should probably be drinking water, but she felt like wine. For the past hour or so, she had been able to forget everything and simply have fun while she danced. She had not seen Wulfric and she had avoided Nicholas Lewinus. Everything seemed to be going great.
As she stood with her cup of wine, she could not however help but search the crowd for Wulfric. She could not find him but saw that one of her servants were making his way around the crowd towards her.
“Lady Harold,” he said in a low voice, “A messenger has come for Lord Rosenkranz.”
“Isn’t he in his room?” Anna asked.
Her servant shook his head.
“I believe he is in the garden... with a young lady,” the servant said.
“Oh,” Anna said, “I’ll fetch him myself then,” she said, put the cup on the table and quickly left the room.
What was Wulfric thinking? Anna thought as she strode down the corridor towards the garden. He would completely scandalize himself and the girl that he was with. It was probably Louisa Albertin, Anna doubted that Lady Katarina would be bold enough to venture into the garden unchaperoned.
She understood why her servants did not want to go into the garden on their own. Men having a rendezvous tended to be angry when interrupted. Wulfric could get angry all he wanted with her. She would tell him that the messenger was there, and then she would tell him exactly what she thought of him, being alone with a young woman. It was one thing, if he wanted to create a scandal, it was quite another if he did so under her roof.
Anna passed a group of ladies, seemingly heading towards the garden as well. One of them was Lady Löwensbeck, Lady Katarina’s mother. Anna simply nodded and hurried up a bit to reach the garden before they did.
Her garden was not big, and she quickly saw Wulfric’s back. He was leaning down in a pose that could only be uncomfortable; it practically looked like he was falling over. Then she realized that he was kissing someone. Anna stopped walking. No, was all she could think. Just no.
Her whole being turned upside down. It shouldn’t be shocking, she scolded herself. It was completely natural, but then again just no. No, he couldn’t be kissing other women, he shouldn’t be kissing other women. Just no.
Wulfric rose and turned around to look at her. For a moment there was a look of pain on his face, then he quickly looked almost relieved, then horrified again.
“Anna,” he said and strode towards her in large steps. “This is not what it looks like.”
Anna could not believe how this was anything but what it looked like. Him kissing someone else. Her reacting like a complete fool because of it. She watched Lady Katarina stand behind him. She looked both shocked and a little dazed.
“Anna, please let me explain,” Wulfric said, grabbing hold of her arm.
Anna could feel him looking intently at her face, but she was not ready to meet his eyes. What would she do if she did? Would she cry? Throw herself into a fit? Declare her love for him? Love, God, no, Anna tried to swallow, but unable. She felt like she was choking. No, just no. No, to everything, no.
She heard the door from the castle to the garden open and the group of ladies spilling out. Among them Lady Löwensbeck. She heard Wulfric whisper a curse under his breath.
“There’s nothing to explain,” she said in an angry voice. “There is a messenger here to see you.”
She turned around and left. Wulfric would have to deal with his own mess. Anna just wanted to be alone now.
***
Wulfric felt like walking in a daze, when he walked the corridor to reach the room, where the messenger was waiting. He would have to marry Lady Katarina now. Her mother and the three other ladies that had found them had made it quite clear. They would hush everything down, but they expected him to talk to Lord Löwensbeck in the morning.
Katarina had looked at him with a sheepish expression, and he finally understood why she had asked him to kiss her. It had not been courage at all, but fear of her mother. He felt certain now that the lady had instructed her daughter what to do. It was pure luck that the group of ladies had not found them kissing.
But it wasn’t Lady Katarina’s gaze that stuck with him as he hurried up the stairs. It was Anna’s. A look of pure mortification. As if her life had just crumbled before her. If he had ever needed proof, that she cared for him, that she might actually love him, but simply had not realized it yet herself, it had been right there in her face. He would have waited for her for a hundred years after having seen that look, but now it was too late. He would have to do the honorable thing and marry someone else.
He reached the room where the messenger had been placed and opened it brusquely.
“Jensen,” he said bewildered as he recognized the man inside. It was one of the men from his estate.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, My Lord,” the man said and bowed deeply, continuing when he was upright again: “It’s your mother. She has fallen down the stairs. They don’t know how long she’ll live.”
Wulfric rushed out the door forgetting everything else around him.